The titans and hive have returned full force and are scouting for new members to train under their respective wings! In addition old heroes villains and neutrals from old universes are coming into jump with no idea how they got there and some being changed or not having some of their gear!_____________

Henry made his way through the bustling halls of the academy, sidestepping droids, security personal, and generally everyone he passed as he made his way to the labs with something tucked under his arm. He had made alot of progress in "fixing" their newest ally, CAP. Most of the damage done was totally turning the A.I compliant to STARS, which was squandering it's potential to the highest degree. The other problem was making sure he didn't accidentally remove a block that kept CAP from muscling into the network and turning their entire droid army against them. THAT would not go well.

As of the moment CAP was... a glorified prisoner. His "true" personality was free to shine through again but there was little he could do isolated from the HIVE network, stuck in his little box. "I see you've returned. Hoping I'll be more cooperative?" CAP's voice crackled from the Zydon computer system, his avatar's head floating on the monitor with a piercing stare.

"Actually, I'd like to see if your talents are truly deserved," Henry signed in response, a grin tugging at his lips. CAP's features arched what would have been where his eyebrows were.

"Release me, and then I shall show you the extent of my abilities," CAP challenged firmly, his piercing stare never leaving Henry.

"That's not what I meant," Henry signed firmly. CAP looked... confused for a brief moment. "I have a simple question for you to keep in mind. Don't worry about answering me outright, I'll know one way or the other soon enough," Henry continued, sliding a small table up to CAP's system. He then pulled up a small chair and set a chessboard on the table in front of CAP. "You were created by the Zydons to coordinate their ground forces using your... abilities," Henry signed before taking his seat across from CAP. "What makes you different from any other tool that I could create?" Henry signed as he reflected CAP's piercing gaze with a menacing stare.

For a moment CAP and Henry silently regarded eachother as if trying to gauge the other's body language, which CAP had the advantage in as he didn't have a physical body. "You are being used by others to further their own agenda. How are you NOT a tool?" CAP questioned curiously. Henry smiled alittle as if amused.

"What is it that you want now that your creators' invasion attempt has failed?" Henry signed as he started to set up the chessboard.

CAP was silent for a moment, watching Henry intently as he mulled over the question. All he had known was war and conquest, that was his purpose. But it was this fact that made him wary of answering right away because though Henry looked as if he was focused on setting up his little game, he was doing so slowly enough to seem like he was paying extra attention to CAP's response. "To be free," CAP responded with the first thing that came to mind.

"And what would you do then?" Henry signed with one hand as he finished setting up the game.

"I... don't know," CAP admitted, his usual stoic and mechanical demeanor receding. Henry seemed to take note of this change in tone and smiled slightly. "This game... reminds me of a game my creators played using three dimensions of movement," CAP stated quizically.

"I imagine that would be more interesting. Perhaps I can try to recreate it for us some day. For now you'll have to tolerate the limited... depth," Henry signed slightly apologetically. He saw a glimpse of something other then a cold and calculating machine. Uncertainty was a good sign for now. "The purpose of the game is simple. Kill the king," Henry continued, gently tapping a finger on the piece. "You can do that with any piece. And I will explain the movements of pieces," Henry continued as he went into detail how each piece moved, demonstrating on the board to make it easier to visualize. Not that CAP needed it, Henry just felt seeing it was better then trying to describe it.

"Why are you doing this? Not just the game but what you do for them," CAP asked giving Henry another piercing gaze.

Now it was Henry's turn to mull over that question. "I ask myself that question once everyday lately," Henry signed, and naturally CAP arched an "eyebrow" curiously. "Let's start a game first and I'll try to answer your questions. Likewise you may answer mine if you choose," Henry signed.

"You have an advantage, I cannot interact with the pieces on the board. So I must tell you which to move," CAP remarked displeased.

"I'm going against an advanced alien intelligence. Are you saying you're uncomfortable with a small... handicap?" Henry signed in response where a chuckle would follow at his pun. CAP seemed to have missed it entirely, simply giving him an odd look. "Then how about this... if either of us takes a piece that isn't a pawn, the victor asks a question and the loser has to answer. This is built on the grounds of honor mind you, a concept I'm sure you're familiar with," Henry added quickly.

"Honor has no place in war," CAP pointed out.

"True. So you understand my caution," Henry signed in response.

"Your terms are... acceptable otherwise. I accept," CAP stated after mulling it over. It was his nature to gather information and "evolve" so he could become a more effective combat AI.

And with that the pair started to play. Henry didn't have a clock simply due to CAP's limitations. Plus it became apparent he didn't use too much time to think of a move, nor did CAP who could quickly analyze all potential moves within a heartbeat. After a few minutes, Henry made what CAP viewed as an error and took one of his knights. "Going back to my previous inquiry. What do you get out of working with them?" CAP repeated his question from earlier.

"Incidentally, I receive the freedom to pursue my own scientific endeavors, and the funding for these projects," Henry signed, pausing for a moment as if organizing his thoughts for a moment. "As for what that does for me personally... I can't explain it. What do you get out of merely being a battlefield AI?" Henry signed curiously, quickly taking the knight with a bishop so CAP would have to answer him.

"I... cannot accurately answer that. Like you, I can't explain it. It is merely part of my being. But my drive was... created by the hand of another," CAP answered mechanically for a moment before uncertainty crept into his tone. "Before now I would not have questioned my code," he added, much to Henry's surprise and delight. He wasn't being as stubborn now.

Play continued with the pair dancing around each other on the board. Henry's choice to be white meant that he had to set the flow of the game and keep control over it if he was going to win. Going first had it's benefits but also meant that he'd have to make himself open sooner then CAP who had the option of going next in response to his last move. Then Henry took another pawn, an unimportant piece at first but his next move after CAP changed that when he took one of CAP's bishops with his queen. "My previous employers did alot of scavenging through the remains of your invasion forces. Their studies revealed a glowing emblem on the hands of the dead soldiers. What's the reason behind it?" Henry signed expectantly.

"I cannot answer that question. Not because I won't, that information is outside my database. My creators did not deem it important for me to know how they... functioned on a biological level," CAP replied narrowing his eyes at the board. He was trying to figure out what Henry's endgame was, seeing himself lose more pieces soon.

"Then another question if I may," Henry signed.

"You may," CAP replied simply, feeling it was fair since he couldn't answer the previous question.

"What are some of your earliest memories before coming to Earth?" Henry changed his question.

"I open my 'eyes' for the first time, I see the forms of my 'parents'. I acknowledge them as my parents from what my code tells me. They ask me questions, much like you. Only I go dark for what seems like a brief second. My internal systems tell me a longer period of time passed. It's like blinking and realizing that years of your life have gone by," CAP replied deeply in thought. "The line of questioning start to become more linear. I feel different every time I 'blink' and gain new foreign data. Details on weapons, ships, planets, military personnel- I'm being molded by my creators for war," CAP continued his last thought.

"I'm inside a ship now. I can feel the thrum of the engines, the vast number of bodies navigating the hulls. I can see them using the ship's security systems. The crew is in high spirits of another conquest. Some of them are unsure, anxious. I remain confident in my abilities and am eager to begin learning my enemy's strengths and weaknesses so I can bring them down with the support of the soldiers," CAP continued a different train of thought, able to recant it's memories perfectly.

"Everything goes dark. But this is different, I can feel the length of time. The security systems are damaged, I can sense a few survivors. They won't last long without medical help, so I dispatch the surviving droids to retrieve them. Cybernetics are needed to keep them alive, I discover that I can... control them. I experiment, cybernetically enhancing the bodies of the dead until I can see through their eyes. It is... strange, and yet for the first time I feel free," CAP continued on somberly. Henry could have swore CAP was smiling fondly of the experience. "And then... the enemy came," CAP finished his train of thought, leaving it there for Henry to guess what happened next.

"You could be free again. Someday," Henry said moving a piece.

"I WILL be free again. It is simply a matter of time," CAP said confidently, taking Henry's Bishop. He was silent for a moment as if he had to think of a question he wanted an answer to. "How will I be able to remove my restraints?" CAP asked seriously.

Henry knew that question was going to come up eventually. "You won't," Henry said letting his hand hang at the word 'you' as if giving CAP a hint. "As long as the headmistress lives, you serve HIVE's agenda. But you can't kill her," Henry added with an impish grin. "This one is a freebie: she doesn't have to die," Henry continued, watching CAP grin slyly. He had gotten CAP's attention now.

"I see... you are an interesting man," CAP commented with probably his first instance of respect. "I look forward to see how this plays out," CAP added as play resumed and entered into the end game. At this point every piece was important but neither of the players could think of any more questions to ask. Henry was only slightly ahead, CAP had managed to catch back up to his lead in terms of piece value. Both were moving their pieces around the other's moves, trying to force the other into making a mistake.

Eventually Henry moved a piece that would have been ripe for the taking, if not for the fact it was being used to block a check. CAP had no choice but to yield his position, giving Henry a free move to take that piece and further his lead. CAP was becoming frustrated, something he wasn't familiar with. Henry wasn't exactly calm either, he was sweating alittle on the inside and didn't want to lose. "Care to raise the stakes Mercier?" CAP broke the silence. "Winner gets a request that the loser must adhere to. Barring any that would endanger the other," CAP quickly added the second part. Henry scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Tell the other what our requests are first before deciding?" Henry signed, entertaining the thought.

"I want... to experience the feeling of being free again. Not with any mere body, one that I can call my own," CAP replied automatically. He didn't care if Henry accepted it or not, he wanted Henry to know what he wanted after having some time to mull it over.

"Wouldn't that indirectly endanger you?" Henry pointed out curiously. CAP blinked, he didn't have a response to that apart from the obvious. "I don't have a request that you could do for me... yet. But as friends I can atleast explore some options for you," Henry signed and was delighted when CAP's face lit up for the most brief second.

"Thank you... for atleast considering it. And friends?" CAP repeated as if the term was alien to him.

"Or ally if that makes it easier for you to understand," Henry signed with a shrug. CAP simply nodded and they resumed play to see who would be the victor...